Background From highly personalized niche programs to brand extensions from major media networks, podcastingis where millions of media consumers are turning to for information, entertainment, and connection tothe world. In fact, one out of four Americans has listened to a podcast in the past month, according toEdison Research’s annual Infinite Dial study. Advertisers are taking notice of this substantial audience, as more than two-thirds of advertisingmedia decision makers have discussed advertising in podcasts, according to a study from AdvertiserPerceptions. Yet, very little research has been done on the advertising environment within podcasts,including best practices for increasing listener engagement and brand impact. Westwood One commissioned a study of weekly podcast listeners and their perceptions about theadvertisements that they hear within podcasts. This study was created in conjunction withMaru/Matchbox and Vision Critical, a nationally recognized leader in consumer research. This study was fielded online using a nationally representative sample of 600 respondents who met thefollowing criteria: Adults over the age of 18 All respondents spent at least one hour listening to podcasts within the past week Respondents were not employed in the advertising, public relations, marketing, market research,radio, television, digital, or podcasting industries Surveys were conducted between July 16, 2018 and July 23, 2018 WESTWOODONE’SPODCASTDOWNLOAD–FALL2018 Key findings Women are catching upin the podcast environment. The heavy female podcastlistener is a desirable target for advertisers. More podcast listeners are becoming heavy usersof the medium. There is double digityear over year growth among the heaviest podcast listeners. Time spent with podcasts is growing across the board. Smart speaker adoption for podcast listening is on the rise, especially among womenand Boomers.Podcast listeners say they listen to podcasts immediately after it is downloaded. Podcast listeners will accept between two and four ads per podcast, depending onthe podcast’s length. Heavy podcast listeners are willing to hear more ads. Podcast ad exposure impacts purchase behavior and social media behavior greateramong heavy podcast listeners Podcast listeners prefer multiple ad breaks for 60-minute podcasts. For shorterpodcasts, listeners prefer just one break. Most podcast listeners prefer ads voiced by the show’s host over traditional ads, yetheavy podcast listeners are more accepting of pre-produced ads. WESTWOODONE’SPODCASTDOWNLOAD–FALL2018Podcasts –who’s listeningSource: Edison Infinite Dial 2018, persons 12+Weekly 17% of America7% of AmericaHeavy hours a week 6 +hours a week 1 + 。。。。。。